1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to water skis, and specifically to a unique length, shape, and profile of ski body and a configuration of binding, in which the skier's feet are side by side on the ski body for use as a slalom ski as well as a trick ski.
2. Description of Prior Art
Heretofore ski manufacturers have produced slalom and trick water skis as two separate and distinctly different types of skis. The Slalom ski being used in high speed turns and the trick ski being used for low speed turns, spins, wake tricks, and aerial moves.
Traditionally the slalom ski has been a narrow elongated shape with a fin at the tail and bindings mounted end to end at the mid-body of the ski. U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,386 to La Point and U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,023 to Williams (1984) show a typical modern day slalom ski. The greatly upturned fore-body portion of the slalom ski allows the ski to pass through water at high speed without spilling end over end. The fin keeps the rear or tail of the ski from slipping sideways. However this configuration is not very manuverable at low tricking speeds. Conversely, the modern trick ski with its very slightly upturned foreward end and lack of a stabilizing fin make it highly unstable at high speeds. U.S. Pat. No. 3,395,410 to Rutland shows a trick ski with a slightly upturned foreward end. As with the slalom ski, the trick ski has its bindings mounted one in front of the other along the longitudinal center line of the ski body.
In addition to the disadvantage of the traditional slalom and trick ski regarding using one ski for slalom and trick skiing (dual use), the binding configuration of trick and water skis has always been to mount the bindings toe to heel along the longitudinal centerline of the ski body in large part due tradition. This configuration along with a lack of innovation in the ski industry have provided a product with the following disadvantages:
A) Slalom skis are long and narrow with a fin at the rear which makes them less manuverable at low speeds. PA1 B) Trick skis with their flat profile and lack of a fin are highly unstable at high boat speeds. PA1 C) Traditional trick and slalom skis restrict the mounting of the bindings to toe to heel configuration. PA1 D) Traditional slalom and trick skis are limited by design to either trick skiing or slalom skiing but not both. PA1 A) to provide a slalom water ski which is manuverable at slower boat speeds; PA1 B) to provide a trick ski which is stable at higher boat speeds; PA1 C) to provide a ski which will accomodate a side by side mounting of the binding. PA1 D) to provide a new recreational and competitive class of skiing; PA1 E) to provide a new style of skiing that will revolutionize the ski industry; PA1 F) to provide a ski which can be used for both slalom and trick skiing.